Patchwork diversions

At this time of year things start to slow down from the hectic pace of Summer, and my thoughts turn to patchwork.

It informs almost all of my work, and it's like play to fiddle about with different colours and patterns in all those little bits of fabric I accumulate.

My love affair with Instagram has introduced me to some amazing fabric designers and quilters.

What a community it is.

Karen is the woman behind Blueberry Park making beautiful fabrics and quilts. She's been such an inspiration for me, and gave me the little push I needed to try my hand at some patchwok a little more complicated than what I've tried before.

This quilt top is all sewn together and just awaiting a little time to get it together with some backing and wadding before I can settle in for a Winter of hand quilting.

If you look closely you find plenty of fabrics from Melbourne based fabric designer and screen printer Maze & Vale. They've been perfect for this quilt!

Of course, I couldn't resist the siren call of the half square triangle, and I'm loving this versatile little patchwork block.

Resisting the urge to turn this into the beginnings of another quilt, I've turned it into a cushion instead.

And keep an eye out for some in the shop soon, perfect to add a bit of patchwork goodness to your home!

Meanwhile...

Funny how making a quilt by hand seems to take forever, but then all of a sudden you reach the end, and there it is, on a bed, and looking as if it was always meant to be there.

Of course I've started another, this one a straightforward scrap quilt, only made complicated by the size of the fabric pieces. I decided on 10cm squares, sewn into blocks of 4.

I need 144 of those blocks.

I'm up to 50.

It's going to take a little while! 

Especially because I'm using offcuts from my other making, so I need to collect pieces to use as I go.

It's ok, there is a satisfaction in taking it slow.

But I felt the need for something else that was going to be quicker to put together.

Inspired by the free form quilting of Maze & Vale, I raided my stash and have just finished another very quick quilt top.

There was a satisfaction in not worrying about having anything lining up, no measuring, no precision cutting.

Just a piece it as you go approach.

Quite different, but fresh and bright.

I like this one too.

Finished and beginning

And then it was done.

I got most of the binding hand stitched sitting in the sunshine at my last Melbourne market a couple of weeks ago. A little bit to finish off at home, and there it is. All done.

I had a feeling that this quilt might be just a teeny little bit small for our bed, but actually it's perfect.

It's cold at night here on the coast at this time of year, and we'd been sleeping with a cotton blanket on top of our doona since we moved here.

I never realised how heavy that blanket actually was until I swapped it for the quilt, which is featherlight, and soft, and warm as toast.

We love it. I love it!

I'm going to do it all again!

In the meantime a new dress design has finally hatched.

. 

This has been on the drawing board of my imagination for quite some time.

I do like a frock.

And I do love the little shirts that have been so popular with everyone too.

And I love to combine pattern and colour.

And so I guess this was a logical progression, and I love them too!

Including pockets allowed me to add a third fabric into the mix. Which seems to mean that I am managing to make a patchwork out of everything I'm doing lately.

There are just three of these new dresses in the shop, and I'll be making them as one or two of a kind, depending on how much fabric I have, and what combinations take my fancy, so pop over and take a look!

Nearly there

Yes. More quilting!

The hand quilting has been slow and steady, and a nice way to pass more than a few very cold and wet days here.

A little bit done here and there, whenever there was a spare half hour or so.

And all of a sudden, there was the end!

Today I've got the binding on, the corners of it mitred, and it's all pinned up ready for the final step.

(more hand sewing!)

I've loved every minute of the making of this quilt, and I can't wait to see it finished and on our bed just in time for Winter.

But, because I knew I'd miss the hand work, I've got another one all cut out and waiting for me!

In the meantime, I've got one last Melbourne market before Winter really sets in.

Perfect timing to grab a little piece of Liberty patchwork in a scarf perhaps?

Shirt & Skirt Market

Sunday May 19

10am - 4pm

Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford

Still quilting and a bit more

Things are coming along with the quilt here.

A trip to Melbourne and the wonderful Amitie Textiles for some advice, some batting, some binding fabric, and a lovely cotton to hand quilt with had me ready for the next step.

There was more crawling around on the floor getting all the bits together.

Smoothing it all out and getting it square, then putting in big safety pins to hold it all together was another test for my knees. My quilting friend wisely said that this would be the tedious bit, and she wasn't wrong!

But the reward is the hand stitching. 

We've had friends visit, and there was nothing nicer than to sit and stitch while chatting at our table.

I am loving watching the stitches form, starting to make the quilt look quilted.

Judy from Amitie suggested this duck egg blue coloured thread, and I love the way it's hue changes according the colour of each fabric. On the darker ones it's silvery, and then moves back to duck egg on the pale fabrics. Bliss!

I haven't completely stopped on other things though!

Scarf season has begun, and nice parcels of these have gone to Follow Store, House of Balaklava, and Poppi & Pippa.

You can find them in my online shop too.

I had the pleasure of a couple of shirt orders as well this week.

This one here is off to Spain for a holiday.

Lucky girl!

Enjoying the journey

I'm having a bus man's holiday this week.

I'm winding down to embrace a bit of a quieter time of year after a full on Spring and Summer.

With all the shirt making I've been doing I had a great big satisfyingly stuffed bag of beautiful scraps of Liberty just calling to me.

Some have gone to scarves, but seriously, there's still plenty!

Way back when, I decided I'd have a go at making a quilt from some of those scraps, and with less on my plate, and the weather starting to turn, the time was right.

I've quickly realised that making this quilt is a bit of long haul journey and not a dash.

I'm not used to this long process, mostly I start and finish a project in a day! Perhaps I'll learn some patience while I'm at it.

I had more than half of the blocks made, so finishing the rest of them was like reaching the first port of call.

The fabrics mirror my own journey with Frankie & Ray. There are some there that I used when I first started out, and from then on all the way through to now.

Perhaps this is part of the allure of this quilt, it's a part of my history too.

Laying the blocks out took an entire afternoon.

I had to move furniture, rugs, and animals to get the floor space I needed, and then I felt like I was playing a giant and complicated version of Twister as I shuffled, and shuffled, and shuffled the blocks.

Eventually I reached an arrangement that I was happy with, and so now I'm sewing them all together.

So, that's my journey so far.

I figure I might be half way, and loving the trip!